Bottler David knows his final chance for the crown has gone

David Miliband yesterday missed out on winning the leadership of the Labour party to his brother Ed by 1.3% of the votes cast

David Miliband listens as his brother Ed Miliband addresses Labour supporters (Leon Neal)
So near the prize, so tough to lose it. After devoting his life to politics,
David Miliband yesterday missed out on winning the leadership of the Labour
party by 1.3% of the votes cast.

He knows the chance will not come again. Too many times he failed to seize the
day — and when he finally tried, it slipped from what had seemed his certain
grasp.

In the battle of the brothers, David made all the running. Three years older
than Ed, it was David who blazed a trail to Oxford (a first compared with
Ed’s 2.1) and on to Westminster. Before he was 30 he was advising Tony
Blair; before he was 40, he was in the cabinet.

When his younger brother first took a seat at the table in Downing Street,
David was foreign secretary, positioned close to the prime minister. He
winked at Ed, down the table, as